Portable loading machine



"Dec. 2 0, 1938. N, D. LEVIN PORTABLE LoApniG MACHIANE Original Filed Sept. 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Shut 1 v Y m. ATTY D.20,-193s. fNoqLEvm 2,140 636 PORTABLE LOADING MACHINE Original. Fil'ed Sept. 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NILS D. LEVIN,-

ATT'Y 1o; "In'the accompanying drawings, 7

. 35; the same as hereinafter more fully explained."

' Patented Dec. 20,1938

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oF FIcE I PORTABLE LOADING MACHINE Nils D."Levin, Columbus, ohid ssigndri'te The i g 'Compa'ny'; f Columbus,

' Ohio, a corporationof Ohio 1 Original application September .16, 1961, Serial No. 563,113. Divided and this.v application March 21,1936; Serial N0. 70,036

1- Claim. {(01.1196236) My'invention relates to portable loaders and I onefof -.its-'objects isto provide animproved and f simplified supporting structure therefor. I A further object of theinvention'is to; provide improved mechanism ,forholding the conveyor at anadjusted inclination. I

QZOtherobjectS of'the invention will attest *hereinafter, the novelfeatures-and combinations being set. forthin the claims hereto appended.

I ,Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portable loader embodying. my improvements. I e i v i Fig. 2is an elevation of the same. j i

- :Fig; 3., is a sectional elevation'taken on the line Y .3--3; r Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and .1 Fig. 4 is a detail view.

' 'g 'l'hefportable loader illustrated in'ri'gs'fi andz comprisesa truckA and a conveyor .3 pivotally gq mounted on the truck A for swinging movement;

, f invertical planes.

i -Truck A comprises two vertical spaced apart *plates l0, I!) having atthein lower ends out-.

. wardl'y extending horizontal flanges ll, ll which are 'welded to the axles l2 which are square in cross-section'as-shown iniFig. 4. The axles I2. are provided with ;cylindrical"ends on which areii'jmoun'ted forwheels l3.

f stiffening or reinforcingplates M of triangular shape are welded; along their horizontal and vertical edges to the squared axles l2 and the outer sidesof the plates 10, These plates [4 A tubular cross member 15, extends between thetw plates 10 and is welded at its ends to saidfplates thus adding further to therigidity of the truck frame. Notwithstanding the sim-,

'6 plic ityfof construction of the truck frame, it is of sumcient strength 'to-afford ample support'to the conveyor and withstand rough usage ;to

j .ticaloperation.

"455 1 ?-i =.c illi ie i v elbyngltlldilially tendingframe C having"an-inclinediorward por-f I tion D and a horizontal rear portion E.

f endless" belt 'I 6xextends along the entire "lengthof the fram'e'C. A head pulley" I1 is sup- -56 ported at th reariend'offthe conveyor frame. i'an'dajfoot pulley l8 is supported at the forward.

: end thereof. An eleotric m'otor 19 is positioned below the forward" .portionl "DY of the j conveyor" :end is connected to the eenveyoibeaia to drive free rotation the truck brace the vertical plates wand add to the "strength of the truck frame. c

. which portable conveyors are subjected in: prac The 1 conveyor frame comprises longitudinally extendingangle irons 20, 20, spaced, apart and located-on; opposite sides of the conveyor frame as shownin Fig. 3. Welded to the vertical flanges 22*of the angle irons are downwardly extending flanges 23 Ma belt supporting trough or bed plate. 24. Transversely extending vtubular cross members 25'are flattenedat their ends and welded. to the;upper sides of the lower horizontal flanges 2! of the angle irons 20 to brace the conveyor frame and serve to support the lower spaced apart or located at intervals along the entire length of the conveyor frame as shown in F 2.- To the upper ends of the tubes 26 are welded the vertical flanges 30, of the longitudinally extending angle irons 21, 21; which afford lateralguide plates for the edges of the upper run or-strand of the belt Hi.

It shouldqbe noted-that the trough or bed plate24 is beveled at 28, 28 to afford longitudinal spaces 29, 29 between thev lower edges of the guide plates .30, 30 of the upper angles 21 and the upper edges of the flanges 22 of the angle irons 20. r

When belts travel in troughs between guides there is atendency for thematerial to spill off the edges of the belt and creep under the same,

" causing such abrasion as to effect excessive wear I of the belt and the trough plates.

Since'the tubes 26, 26 are secured to the vertical fianges-22 and 30 so as to hold them spaced apart, a longitudinal slot is produced along each side ofthe conveyor trough. It will therefore be seenthat material which spills off the edges ofthe belt I6 has free egress into the longitudinal spaces 29 and. laterally from these spaces through the slots which. extend longitudinally of the conveyor frame as shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, longitudinally extending lateral spillways are provided so-that material spilling off the edgesof the belt instead of creeping under the l same'willbe eje'ctedlaterally along the beveled portions 28," 28 outthrough the-longitudinal slots or lateral unobstructed passageways, thereby greatly reducing friction and wear.

It should also be noted that the vertical members 26 are circular in cross section and they do not obstruct the free passage of spilled material from the longitudinal troughs 29;

Two pairs of angle irons 3| are welded to the vertical flanges 22, 22 of the angle irons 20 at the sides of the conveyor frame 0. The angle irons 3| extend downwardly from the frame C and are braced longitudinally of the conveyor frame by means of the angle irons 32 and 33.

The transverse flanges of the angle irons 3| are provided with a vertical series of spaced apertures 34 through which are adapted to be passed pins which may be in the form, of bolts 35, 35 which support the slide blocks 36, 36.

Journaled in aligned openings in the blocks 36 is a cross shaft 31 which is supported by the vertical truck plates ID by extending through openings therein. It is preferred that said cross shaft 31 be rigidly attached to plates ID to provide an additional brace, the attachment being by welding, the slide blocks 36, 36 being journaledon the ends of said shaft 31. If desired,-blocks 36, 36 may be clamped rigidly to shaft 31 and said shaft loosely journaled in plates Ill. The outer ends of the shaft 31 are provided with Washers 38 and cotter pins or keys 39- to prevent disengagement of the adjacent parts.

The bolts 35 extend through apertures in slide blocks 36 and therefore when the conveyor frame is adjusted in elevation it is supported on the slide blocks 36 and the shaft-31 against movement either up or down, but the conveyor is free to be tilted on the axis of the shaft 31. The conveyor may be adjusted in elevation by removing the bolts 35 and inserting them in any selected aperture 34 in the angle irons 3|, after making the desired adjustment.

The driving mechanism for the conveyor belt comprises a pair of pulleys 40, 4| mounted on shafts 42, 43 respectively, which are supported in bearings fixedto the plates 44 attached to the angles 20 of the main conveyor frame. An idler pulley 45 guides the belt into'the lower part of the forward portion of the conveyor frame.

Both pulleys 40, 4| are driven from the motor l9. A sprocket chain 41 is driven by'sprocket 48 on the shaft of the armature of the electric motor IS. A sprocketv chain 50 is driven by a sprocket 5| fixed to the shaft 46 and this sprocket chain 5|] drives the sprocket 52 on the shaft 42.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that on that side of the conveyor opposite the sprocket chain 50 is located a pair of spur gears 53, 54 which are meshed with each other and respectively connected to the shafts 42 and 43. The pulley 4| is therefore driven in synchronism with the pulley 40 and the pulley 4| acts as a snub pulley to provide a more'efiicient drive for the conveyor belt l6.

It will be seen by referring to Fig. 2 that reduction gearing is located between the motor I9 and the shaft 46, and that further reduction gearing is located between the shaft 46 and the shaft 42, thereby providing for the use of the relatively high speed motor IS.

The motor. l9 and the mechanism operated thereby for driving the b'elt'lB are located on the forward portion D of the conveyorframe 0'; therefore when the frame C isreleased it will tilt on the axis 31 to the position shown in Fig. 2. When the rear portion E of the conveyor is moved downwardly so as to elevate the forward portion D for traveling along a track, or otherwise from place to place, the conveyor frame may be held in such travel position by hooking the chain 55 to the curved slotted clip 56 secured to the rear axle I2 as shown in Fig. 4. The upper end of the chain 55 is secured to one of the cross members 25. When in this position the conveyor B is supported entirely from the truck A which truck has both lateral and longitudinal stability.

' A take-up mechanism may be provided as shown at 51 in Fig. 2 in accordance with standard practice to provide means for tensioning the conveyor belt or removing the slack therefrom when desirable.

. A hopper 58 at the receiving end of the conveyor permits loading from a car hopper or otherwise, without the tendency for any'great amount of material moving to the sides of the beltand finding egress through the lateral slots at 29, 29; that is to say, the hopper 58 is so shaped as to permit efficient loading of the belt conveyor by directing the material onto almost the entire width -thereof,--but sufficiently limiting the loading 'ofthe belt near the edges to minimize the spilling of the material over the edges of the belt. 'By'elevating the rear or discharge end of the conveyor, with the front end on the ground, the bolts 35, 35 may be readily removed and the elevation of said rear end adjusted as previously described. y y 1 Also by removing retaining means 35' (Fig. 2) and disconnecting the chain 55, the conveyor unit becomes detachable from the truck unit, which is an advantage for shipping.

The blocks 36, 36 are journaled on the shaft 31 and thus permit free tilting of the conveyor unit about the axis of said shaft. Free sliding movement between the outersurfaces of said blocks 36, 36 and the guideways formed by angle members 3|, 3| provides for ready vertical adjustment of said conveyor unit with respect to said truck unit. The bolts 35, 35 of course retain the 7 angle members 3|, 3| in any selected position of adjustment with respect to said blocks 36, 36 as previously described.

This application is a division of my application, for a Portable loading machine, Serial No. 563,113 filed September 16, 1931.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claim hereto appended and I wish therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus shown and described an embodiment of my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A portable loader comprising a stable truck having upstanding triangular flat side plates rigidly connected at their bottoms to forward and rearward transverse axles, a shaft at the top of said plates rigidly attached thereto and extending laterally therebe yond, an intermediate brace rigidly attached to said side plates, slide blocks journaled to the lateral extensions of said shaft, a conveyor having downwardly extending guiding and supporting members forming guideways cooperating with said slide blocks, and 

